Accuracy and complications of computer-designed selective laser sintering surgical guides for flapless dental implant placement and immediate definitive prosthesis installation.

BACKGROUND: Computer-aided dental implant placement seems to be useful for placing implants by using a flapless approach. However, evidence supporting such applications is scarce. The aim of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of and complications that arise from the use of selective laser sintering surgical guides for flapless dental implant placement and immediate definitive prosthesis installation. METHODS: Sixty implants and 12 prostheses were installed in 12 patients (four males and eight females; age range: 41 to 71 years). Lateral (coronal and apical) and angular deviations between virtually planned and placed implants were measured. The patients were followed up for 30 months, and surgical and prosthetic complications were documented. RESULTS: The mean ± SD angular, coronal, and apical deviations were 6.53° ± 4.31°, 1.35 ± 0.65 mm, and 1.79 ± 1.01 mm, respectively. Coronal and apical deviations of <2 mm were observed in 82.67% and 58.33% of the implants, respectively. The total complication rate was 34.41%; this rate pertained to complications such as pulling of the soft tissue from the lingual surface during drilling, insertion of an implant that was wider than planned, implant instability, prolonged pain, midline deviation of the prosthesis, and prosthesis fracture. The cumulative survival rates for implants and prostheses were 98.33% and 91.66%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The mean lateral deviation was <1.8 mm, and the mean angular deviation was 6.53°. However, 41.67% of the implants had apical deviation >2 mm. The complication rate was 34.4%. Hence, computer-aided dental implant surgery still requires improvement and should be considered as in the developmental stage.

Clinical application of stereolithographic surgical guides for implant placement: preliminary results.

BACKGROUND: The success of implant-supported restorations requires detailed treatment planning, which includes the construction of a surgical guide. Recently, computer-aided rapid prototyping has been developed to construct surgical guides in an attempt to improve the precision of implant placement. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the match between the positions and axes of the planned and placed implants when a stereolithographic surgical guide is employed. METHODS: Six surgical guides used in four patients (three women, one man; age from 23 to 65 years old) were included in the study and 21 implants were placed. A radiographic template was fabricated and computer-assisted tomography (CT) was performed. The virtual implants were placed in the resulting 3-dimensional image. Using a stereolithographic machine, liquid polymer was injected and laser-cured according to the CT image data with the planned implants, generating three surgical guides, with increasing tube diameters corresponding to each twist drill diameter (2.2, 3.2, and 4.0 mm), for each surgical area. During the implant operation, the surgical guide was placed on the jawbone and/or the teeth. After surgery, a new CT scan was taken. Software was used to fuse the images of planned and placed implants, and the locations and axes were compared. RESULTS: On average, the match between the planned and the placed implant axes was within 7.25 degrees +/- 2.67 degrees ; the differences in distance between the planned and placed positions at the implant shoulder were 1.45 +/- 1.42 mm, and 2.99 +/- 1.77 mm at the implant apex. In all patients, a greater distance was found between the planned and placed positions at the implant apex than at the implant head. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical data suggest that computer-aided rapid prototyping of surgical guides may be useful in implant placement. However, the technique requires improvement to provide better stability of the guide during the surgery, in cases of unilateral bone-supported and non-tooth-supported guides. Further clinical studies, using greater number of patients, are necessary to evaluate the real impact of the stereolithographic surgical guide on implant therapy.